Professor Peter Okebukola, a distinguished scholar, outstanding researcher and seasoned administrator, specializes in higher education, computer in education and e-learning, co-operative learning, metacognitive strategies in science education, environment education, and eco-cultural influences on the learning of science concepts. Born on February 17, 1951, in Ilesha, Osun State, South-West Nigeria, Prof Okebukola is Fellow and President of the Nigerian Association for Environmental Education and the President of the Global University Network for Innovation GUNI-Africa.
Educational Background
Prof. Peter Okebukola had his secondary education at St. Malachy’s College, Sapele, 1967, and obtained the GCE Advanced Level certificate at Remo Secondary School, Sagamu, in Ogun State 1969. He attended the University of Ibadan, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree 1973, Master’s degree 1979 and Doctoral degree 1984 in Science Education. He thereafter had specialised training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, both in Cambridge, United States of America.
Work Experience
Professor Okebukola joined the Lagos State University as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education on November 28, 1984. Upon assumption, he was appointed acting Head of Department of Education Foundations before being appointed a few weeks later as the Director of the Pre-degree Science programme. Thereafter, he served in various capacities as Founding Director, Centre for Environment and Science Education; Head of the Epe Campus; Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Acting Vice Chancellor of the Institution in 1996. His tenure as the Acting Vice Chancellor was marked by significant improvement in academic development and increased efficiency in university governance. In recent times, he has chaired the Governing Board of the LASU Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies; the Academic Planning Committee and the Quality Assurance Implementation Committee. He is the coordinator of the LASU Science and Technology Education Research Group (LASU- STERG). He was once a Visiting Professor at the Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
In the course of his teaching career, Professor Okebukola has supervised forty three Masters and three doctoral students’ projects in LASU and co-supervised four PhDs in other universities. His research efforts have yielded over 200 internationally published works and no less than 190 national and international conferences presentations.
Professor Okebukola’s research efforts have equally attracted several grants from within and outside Nigeria. He secured US$ 1,500,000 grant from the Federal Government of Nigeria for programme implementation at the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (2009-2011). The project which is implemented in Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria has led to the discovery and promotion of science and technology activities that have historical roots in Africa; US$6,000,000 in partnership with UNESCO Bamako Cluster Office for implementing ICT and other components of the LMD reforms in francophone countries for the period of 2009-2013; US$650,000 from UNESCO in 2007 for implementing the virtual Institute for Higher Education in Africa (VIHEAF) which has already trained over 10,000 teachers from all over Africa on HIV/AIDS education; grant from the Federal Government of Nigeria deployed for science teaching and research, including the equipping of science laboratories and organizing workshops in 24 federal Universities in 2004.
Contributions to the Community
Professor Okebukola has been contributing to national policy development and implementation in education both locally and globally. In addition to his teaching services which he has offered to many states of the federation, he has served as adviser on education matters to many state governments. In 1990, he served as a member of the Federal government’s team that established the Junior Engineers, Scientists and Technicians (JETS) competition and became the National Quiz Master of the 1st National JETS competition, 1989, 1990. In 2005, he was the leader of the entire academic community in Nigeria to the National Political Reform Conference. Between 2010 and 2011, he led the development of e-learning programmes for staff of the Nigerian federal civil service as well as for science education officers. His appointment as the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission between 2001 and 2006 was the crowning of his administrative contribution to the development of tertiary education in Nigeria. During this period, he superintended over quality assurance at the 75 universities in Nigeria, taking responsibility for setting new benchmarks and minimum standards for Nigerian universities, the system-wide accreditation of programmes leading to the application of sanctions on failed programmes, the shutting down of illegal satellite campuses of universities, the contextualization of the UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on Cross- Border Higher Education, the establishment of twenty new private universities and their annual quality audit as well as the development of strategies for institutional accreditation.
A fellow and past president of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria as well as of the National Association for Environmental Education, Prof Okebukola serves on a number of international organisations as consultant including UN ESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the UNDP and the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI-Africa) which has been conducting capacity building activities for higher education teachers and researchers since 2004. In this capacity, he has studied the higher education systems in over 40 African countries. He was co-Director of the Virtual Institute for Higher Education in Africa (VIHEAF) which provided online pedagogical and research training to over 10,000 higher education participants who are mainly lecturers from 43 African countries. He is the current Chair of the Washington-based Council for Higher Education Accreditation CHEA, an international Quality Advisory Group. He is a fellow of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Education, and a member of the Executive Board of the International Association for Research in Science Teaching. He is also the African representative and member of the Board of Directors of the International Council of Associations for Science Education. He served as Consultant to the African Quality Rating Mechanism, an initiative of the African Union to improve the quality of higher education in Africa through quality self-rating.
He has served as the Chairman of Council of the Osun State University and is currently the Chairman of Council, Crawford University; Chairman Board of Trustees, Caleb University; Honorary Director of the Centre for Human Security, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library; and Honorary Director, Institute for African Culture and International Understanding set up for the promotion and refinement of indigenous science and technology.
A prolific writer, Professor Okebukola serves on the editorial board of 25 national and 18 international journals. He is a Contributing Editor for West Africa, Science Education, a John Wiley Publication (1995 till date); contributing editor, International Review of Education, a UNESCO international journal, (1995 till date) Honours, Distinctions and Professional recognition.